, 1887-03-26
TIE BISHOPS STORY.

somewhat earlier than usual he found, on
being shown into the drawing room, that
the hostess was not yet down, the only oc-
cupant of the room being n Roman
Catholic priest-a complete stranger to
him-who was seated upon n sofa in
tently reading a. large book. AS the
bishop entered the priest raised his eyes,
made him u courteous but silent bow, and
again resumed his reading. He was q
strongly built, active looking an-ap
parently rather u muscular Christian; but
there was In his face an expression Of
WEAKNESS and anxiety that attracted the
bishops attention, and he wondered much
within himself who he could be and how
he came to be invited to that house. Soon
other guests appeared, the hostess
came down so full of apologies for not be-
ing in readiness to receive her guests on
their arrival that the questions he had in
Tended to ask about the stranger priest
were forgotten for the time. When
seated next to his hostess at The dinner
table, however, they REQUIRED to his mem
CRY, and turning to her he remarked:
by the way, you did not introduce me
found in the drawing room; who is heY"
Then, looking along the table, he con-
tinued with some surprise: "He does not
seem to have come in to dinner"
A very strange look passed over the
hostess face as she said hurriedly, almost
in n whisper: "What, did you actually see
him, them"
Certainly l did, replied the bishop;
''but l beg your pardon; l fear | have I'M
Intentionally mentioned n subject which
is unpleasant to you--perhaps intruded
upol some family secret. l had no idea
but that the priest was n simple guest,
like myself, and his appearance interested
me 30 much that l wished to ask for an
introduction; but If you are anxious for
some reason hat his presence here should
be concealed, l need hardly assure you
that you may depend upon my silence"
mo, no, my lord, " answered the host
ess still in n low tone, you misunderstood
me entirely; there is nothing which !
wish tn conceal, though this is n subject
which my husband does not like to a
mentioned. | was surprised to hear that
the priest had shown himself to you, be-
cause until now this has never happened
except to q member of our own family.
What you saw was no visitor, but nm APP
partition"
A npparitioni" calculated the bishop.
Eyes" continued the hostess, q one
whose supernatural character it is impos-
sihle to doubt, for during the two years
we have lived in this house it has shown
itself perhaps a dozen times to my husband
and myself under circumstances In which
either selt-deception or imposition were
quite out Of the question. Since we can
not explain it and are well assured that
1t is due to no natural causes, we have
decided not to speak Of it to n one. But
since you have seen it, my lord, will you
do me Il favor?'
Mos certainly, If 1t be within my
power" replied he. 81 have often
thought" she resumed, "that if any one
could be found who had the courage to
address 1t, we might perhaps be relieved
from its presence. Can you-will you
make some trivial excuse for going back
to the drawing room for a few INMATES,
see If the priest be still there, and, IL he
be, speak to him-adjure him to depart
from this ho,ise-exorcise him, in fact2"
After some hesitation the bishop agreed
to make the proposed experiment. His
whispered conversation with the hostess
having been apparently unobserved, he
excused himself to her In n louder tone
for a few moments absence and left the
room, waving back the servant who
would have attended him. 1t was with a
strange thrill Of awe that OIL entering the
drawing room he perceived the figure of
the priest still seated in the same spot
still diligently lerusing his great breviary,
II such it was; but with mistaken resolu-
ton he walked slowly forward and stood
directly in fro1t of the apparition. AS
before, the priest greeted him with q
courteous inclination of the head, but this
time, instead Of Immediately returning to
the book, his eyes rested with q look of in
finite WEAKNESS, and yet with q kind of
suppressed eagerncss also, upon the
tnl.@, TOGO
the bishop said slowly and solemnly:
I'm the name Of God, who are you and
what do you WANT"
The apparition closed its book, rose from
its seat, stood confronting the bishop, and,
after a slight hesitation, spoke in n low
but measured voice:
II have never been so adjured before;
/ will tell you who | am and what l
ant. Q = > AS you see, l am q priest
Of the Catholic church, INT eighty years
ago this house in which we now stand was
mir | was n good rider, and was ex-
tremely fond Of hunting when opportunity
offered; and one day | was just about to
start for the neighboring meet, when n
young lady, Of very high family indeed,
called upon me for the purpose of making
n confession. What she said, Of course, |
may not repeat, out it affected very closely
tuc Honor VI Onc VI inc uObicSt houses OF
England; and 1t appeared to me ol
such supreme Importance that there
being certain complications in the case |
committed the grave indiscretion-the sin
even, for it is strictly forbidden by Cur
church-of making notes of the confession
as l heard 1t. When / had absolved and
dismissed her | found that 1t vas only
barely possible for me to reacl ~ rem
devious In time, but even in n Y Hnste /
did not forget the supreme importance of
guarding carefully my notes OF the terri
BILE secret just committed to me. For pur-
poses which / need not now detail, / had
had II few bricks loosened in the
wall OF one OF the lower passages
Of this house and a small recess made
just the place, / thought, in which my
notes would be perfectly safe from any
conceivable accident until my return,
when | intended to master the intricacles
of the case at my leisure, and then at once
destroy the dangerous paper. Meantime
| hurrledly shut it between the leaves OF
the book l had held in my hand, ran
down stairs, thrust the book into the re-
cess, replaced the bricks, spraug upon my
horse sud rode on at full speed. " . "
That day in the hunting field ] was
thrown from my horse and killed on the
An imperative Necersity.
What pure air is to an unhealthy loca-